The United States has condemned the Chinese regime’s continued efforts to establish a nature reserve at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, a move that further blocks Filipino fishermen’s access to one of their traditional fishing grounds.
Chinese authorities earlier this month unveiled new rules to manage the “national nature reserve” at Scarborough Shoal, a triangle-shaped coral reef within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile economic zone.
China has effectively controlled the feature for more than a decade and designated almost the entire northeastern section of the shoal as a natural reserve last year.
Under the new management rules, which came into effect on Aug. 1, activities such as fishing, mining, and coral or reef excavation within the designated area are banned. China’s coast guard, along with other agencies, will establish a routine patrol system to crack down on activities Beijing deems illegal, according to the text of the measures released by China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration….